CLOWNS WITH CLASS CHATSWORTH PAIR USE ANTICS TO SPICE UP SPORTS.

Byline: Lee Barnathan Staff Writer

At a Chatsworth-area McDonald's, youngsters munching on hamburgers and french fries were surprised to see a 6-foot-3 man with bleached-blond hair who looked a lot like N' Sync's Justin Timberlake smiling, shaking hands and giving autographs.

Actually, it was volleyball player Matt Gudis using his Timberlake-like features to raise money for the Chancellors boys' volleyball program.

This type of school spirit might be rare these days, but it lives on with Gudis and teammate Paul George. Together, the co-captains not only have made the Chancellors a better team and a City title favorite, they have made everyone root more for their school.

``I don't want it (high school years) to just come and go,'' said Gudis, a senior middle blocker, ``and it takes (guts) to do stuff like that. It's for attention, for having a good time, for memories. We grew up not caring what people think.''

At the City Section girls' volleyball final, Gudis and George, in the name of team unity and drawing attention to themselves, painted their chests in Chatsworth's orange and blue. They recruited some teammates and other students.

They needed 10 to spell the school name, but they were one short. They fixed that problem by painting the letter H on a blow-up doll.

The players fondly remember Midnight Madness, in which Gudis and George led their teammates in a midnight practice, then slept in the gym in sleeping bags, jogged to a nearby Denny's for breakfast and went to class not caring how they looked or smelled.

``You can have the worst day of your life, and you're around them and you don't remember it,'' junior Matt Cornell said.

George, a junior setter, and Gudis come from families with older sisters who played together at Chatsworth. When Pam George attended, the volleyball matches were loud and the bleachers packed. Last year, there were 20 people in the stands. When Paul told his sister, she told him he would have to rebuild the excitement.

So George and Gudis recruited their friends and teammates and started attending girls' volleyball games, then girls' soccer matches and boys' basketball games. Sometimes, they painted their bodies.

The other Chatsworth teams loved it. The volleyball team invited them to its postseason banquet. The soccer team has sent poems of encouragement. Each sport's players regularly attend the boys' volleyball matches. When they attend, they see the on-court unity Gudis and George have built. Everyone has their own handshakes. After every play, the team huddles and cheers.

Everyone also has a nickname. Gudis is ``Gouda,'' and not just because he admits he's cheesy. George is ``Exorcist'' because, when he thought his teammates had given up during a playoff match last season, his face turned red and his eyes bulged.

``You can see the intensity in every swing,'' Chatsworth coach Greg Saltzberg said, ``and when he's a setter, he talks to them. He's not quiet.''

The pair's efforts have brought rewards. Chatsworth is 6-1 and many pick it to reach the City final. A four-game loss to two-time defending City champion Taft of Woodland Hills last week didn't change that. George had 15 kills and four blocks, and Gudis had nine kills, four blocks and three aces.

At the recent alumni game, George spoke to Tony Russen (class of 1984), who was moved by Gudis and George's efforts. Former coach Keith West also has said he's impressed.

``The things I noticed most is unity and support and family,'' Gudis said. ``I know it sounds cheesy, but we're cheeseballs.''

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Photo:

Chatsworth volleyball players Matt Gudis, left and Paul George have both improved and livened up Chancellors' athletics.

Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer